Universal type spring-pressed binding post



June 3, 1952 A. N.. A. MELCHIOR 2,599,006

UNIVERSAL TYPE SPRING-PRESSED BINDING POST Filed Feb. 24, 1948 v#14 ai c IO 0: :0 23 (t :o q: I 1

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Patented June 3, 1952 UNIVERSAL TYPE SPRING-PRESSED BINDING POST Albert Nicholas Andrea Melchior, London, England, assignor to A. C. Cossor Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Application February 24, 1948, Serial No. 10,487 In Great Britain N ovember 20, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 20, 1965 2 Claims.

I his invention is concerned with terminals of the type adapted to permit of the detachable connection of electrical leads.

Among the objects of the invention are effective insulation of the conducting parts of the terminal from the user during normal handling and provision for alternative methods of connecting a lead to the terminal or for connecting more than .one lead thereto at a time.

In accordance with the invention from one of its aspects an electrical terminal has a conducting core which is at all times located wholly within an insulating sleeve and which is engageable both by a crocodile clip or the like inserted into the open end of the said sleeve and by a lead wire inserted through a peripheral aperture in the sleeve into an aperture in the core when the sleeve is displaced against spring pressure to bring the apertures into alignment. The conducting head of the terminal is thus sunk considerably within the sleeve where it is shielded from chance contact whilst the projecting part of the sleeve also serves to support the crocodile clip laterally.

In accordance with the invention from another aspect, an electrical terminal comprises a conducting core having a transverse aperture therein, an insulating cup fixedly carrying said core and adapted to be secured to a panel or the like support, an insulating sleeve at all times surrounding the whole of that part of the core upstanding above the rim of said cup and slidable but non-rotatable on the core so that on depression of the sleeve towards the cup a peripheral aperture therein is brought into register with the aperture in the core, and a spring between said cup and said sleeve urging the sleeve upwards from the cup.

The following description relates to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of an embodiment of the invention and Figure 2 is a top plan view.

The base is in the form of an insulating cup II within the cylindrical side wall of which the bottom end of an insulating sleeve I2 is a free axially sliding fit. This sleeve is formed with an interior annular flange I3 somewhat more than half way up its bore, the under side of which flange acts as a seat for the top of a coiled compression spring I 4 hearing at its bottom end on the bottom of the cup base I I. g

The conducting core of the terminal is a metal part I5 having a screwed shank I6 which engages in an axial hole in the bottom of the cup II and, when home, extends sufliciently beneath it for 2 attachment purposes. The body I5 of the core is of a diameter such that the coil spring I4 is accommodated freely in the tubular space between the said body I5 and the sleeve I2 and as substantially to fill the section beneath the aforementioned interior' flange I3 of the latter. Under the influence of the spring I 4 this flange I3 is normally held in abutment against an outward flange I'I around the top of the core body I5 which thus acts as a stop limiting the upward travel of the sleeve I2.

The top of the core I5 is formed or provided with an axially disposed terminal portion in the form of a collar-stud head I8, which is normally surrounded by the upper part of the sleeve I2 i. e. that above the flange therein, which part should extend some way above the head, preferably sO far that even when the sleeve I2 is fully depressed i. e. with its bottom end in contact with the base I I, the head I8 does not project substantially above the top edge of the sleeve I2. Thus portion I8 of reduced diameter is adapted to be gripped by a spring clip inserted through the open end of the sleeve I2. This upper part of the sleeve I2 is also formed with a pair of diametrically opposite holes I9 which when the sleeve site and in register with a transverse hole 20 through the body I5 of the core. In order to prevent rotation of the sleeve I2 about the core I5 (which would of course interfere with such registration) the body of the core is formed with flats 2| and the shape of the inner flange I3 of the sleeve adjusted to change the section within the flange correspondingly. The outer surface of the upper part of the sleeve I2 is knurled at 22 to facilitate manipulation. The terminal is fixed upon a panel 23 by means of a nut 24 engaging a screw-thread upon the base II.

The construction of terminal thus described, is very well shielded with external insulation and permits of ready engagement either by a plain lead or by one carrying a crocodile clip or by both simultaneously. Moreover it is simple, robust and easily assembled.

I claim:

1. An electrical terminal comprising an insulating cup, a conducting core upstanding from the base of said cup and having a laterally extending flange at the upper end thereof and being apertured transversely near the upper end thereof, an axially movable, open-ended, insulating sleeve surrounding said core and said laterally extending flange and having one end projecting within said cup, said laterally extending flange being formed to have a reduced transverse dimension in one direction to provide suflicient clearance between it and said insulating sleeve toallow the attachment of a spring clip inserted through the adjacent open end-of said sleeve, said sleeve being longer than the upstanding portion of said core and being trans versely apertured near the upper end thereof, an

internal flange formed below said aper'turfinf said sleeve and surrounding said core below's'aid" laterally extending flangeand beingsadapted'lto abut said laterally extending flange :i'; o li'rfiit'=the" upward axial movement of said sleeve; and-a-- compression spring surrounding saidcore, hav; ing its lower end seated in said eupflanditslp per end bearing against said internal flange and urging said internal flange mw anuimafit with said laterally extending flange.

2. An electrical terminal comprising .2 an; in-

sulating cup, a conducting core upstanding from the baseof said cup. and provided at the'upper end thereof with a terminarpaiuon offdiibd transverse dimension adapted be grippcf bv a spring cup", said I core beirig' .apertard' transsaid sleeve and surrounding said core below said verslyfat' a' portion near said upper endla'nd being provided with a' laterally extndediflange disposed. between said transversely apertured portion and said terminal -portion an openended:nismatingsieve surroundingthe upper portion of; said core inoludingsaid laterally extending flange and said te'rminal portion and having its? lower end projectingwithin said pup, the" upper endo'fsaid sleeve 'beingadapted for latefafllyekt'iiiling flange and being adapted to abii't'said laterally extending flange to limit the upward aiialmovement of said sleeve, and a com- Qi'i'n surrounding said core, having its W in said cup and its upper end bearing againstpaid internal flange. and urging said; interna name into abutment with said la erail re din fl ev KLBEET "oi ioLAs ANDREA MELC'HIOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of" this' patent 2- UNITED s'm ras PATENTS I Q N" x .l

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